If this is your first visit, be sure to
check out the FAQ by clicking the
link above. You may have to register
before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages,
select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Please Pull Over Safely!

Hi,

My '08 Escape Hybrid has been in the shop since the night of August the 6th after it completely died and would not restart, with barely 5000 miles on it. Besides the nice "Please Pull Over Safely" message, I got the "Regenative Braking Disengaged", and that was it. 24 days and two Flown in Ford Engineers later, and they still can not get my vehicle to start. I can not even begin to tell you how many parts have been thrown at it. I was called today by a Ford Customer Resolution Specialist who has started the process for Ford to buy back my Hybrid. I want another one! I was very pleased with my vehicle during the past 4 months. I totally believe this is an isolated incident and have faith lightning will not strike me again with a lemon!

Recall notice regarding Stop Safely Now

I just got a letter from Ford regarding the problem with the "stop safely now" message. they are calling it a fals DTC (diagnostic trouble code) that is triggered by corrosion of a resister in the power unit located in the battery module.

They will install a service harness in the High Voltage Traction battery and reprogram the module to prevent the potential for a false code.

I actually got the same message of "lost regenerative braking" and the "same stop message you received" the day after I was using my scangauge incorrectly in an attempt to find out the hybrid battery state of charge. I stopped the engine. Waited 15 seconds, started it up and have not had a problem since.

You can read about the experiement I did over at greenhybrid.com under the thread "engine block heater=poor mans PHEV".

Well it has been over 30 days and Ford is buying back my Hybrid. I was told the service department got it to start after replacing the PCM and various other parts, (at day 29), and would need several days of driving to confirm the fix. I am going to buy another Hybrid as I like the vehicle, I will not take mine back as I could never trust it again, (Must have been built on hangover Friday...). If I can get a list of everything the Hybrid techs and Ford engineers did and replaced during troubleshooting, I will post it, if anyone is interested.

Well I picked up my Hybrid today and turned in my rental car until my Ford buy back paperwork is received. The vague description of service and parts reads like this: "LOAD TESTED ALL POWERS AND GROUNDS TO THE PCM AND TCM AND BCM GOOD. TESTED THE FOLLOWING CIRCUITS VDB04, VDB05, G-106, PUSHED OUT PINS INCONNECTORS C1 462, C1458A, C4227A, C2041B, C3285, C251, C220, C1463A. TWO FIELD ENGINEERS CAME OUT AND WE PREFORMED THE SAME TEST AND DOWNLOAD HEV DATA AND SENT TO FORD WITH ALL FOUR ENGINEERS CAME UP WITH THE PCM MODULE BAD REPLACED THE MODULE AND BATTERY REPROGRAMED AND LOAD VID BLOCK AND PREGRAMED OKAY ROADTEST 62 OK" "PERFORMED SYSTEM TEST KOEO, CMDTC'S CODES PRESENT P1AOC-P1AOD-P1AOE-P1A14, P2105-U0294-AND U2023. PERFORMED PIN POINT TEST QE, AA1-AA6, ALL OF TEST AND GOT SEVERAL DIFFERENT ANSWERS. CALLED HOTLINE SPOKE TO A TOM AND MIKE THEY HAD ME COMPLETE SAME TEST AGAIN AND OHM OUT THE HIGH SPEED NETWORK AND OHM EACH MODULE IN SERIES AND DISCONNECTED LOS" "INSTALLED BXT 96 R :BATTERY" "INSTALLED 7M6Z14A303B :HARNESS" "INSTALLED 8M6Z 12A650 BE (FP) :MODULE - ENGINE CONT"

This is all that was provided after 33 days in the shop....

I checked under the hood after I got home and found the negative battery cable so loose I could move it side to side and up and down with my pinkey finger! I found the fuse cover just laying on top, lucky I did not lose it while driving! The antifreeze overflow tank was not secured at all, missing two fasteners completely! I video recorded my findings and emailed them to the service manager as they were already closed by the time I got home. I will be visiting them tomorrow...

Afraid of American vehicles

I have had similar troubles with Ford dealerships doing shoddy repairs. Never had any problems with our Toyota or Hondas. But our Fords, Chevys and Dodge truck, every trip to the dealership has been an adventure...
That also is why I am a little apprehensive about buying the '08 MMH.

update

Well I picked up my replacement '08 Hybrid on 26OCT07, and have put about 800 miles on it so far with zero problems or issues! It feels and drives like a completely different vehicle as compared to my previous '08 Hybrid. They put my February '08 Hybrid on a flatbed headed back to Detroit for disassemble, an autombile autopsy you could say, to try and figure out what caused the failure. My October '08 Hybrid will hopefully be trouble-free for me!

Well I picked up my replacement '08 Hybrid on 26OCT07, and have put about 800 miles on it so far with zero problems or issues! It feels and drives like a completely different vehicle as compared to my previous '08 Hybrid. They put my February '08 Hybrid on a flatbed headed back to Detroit for disassemble, an autombile autopsy you could say, to try and figure out what caused the failure. My October '08 Hybrid will hopefully be trouble-free for me!

My "05 FWD FEH did the same thing after warranty and it cost me over $1200 to find the problem. The labor cost and towing was much of the cost, but the cause was a $12 relay in that fuse box they left the lid off on your FEH. Those relays are not known to go bad, so they never expected it to be the problem.